The Men Outside Ch 22

Posted by Admind, ? Views, Released on February 10, 2025

Chapter 22

Natalie’s mind was racing, trying to think of a way to convince Jonas to trust her, but before she could land on something solid, Jonas took a sharp turn in the conversation, circling back to her “repayment”

She blinked, caught off guard. Why does this man’s train of thought always take such wild turns!?

Hurriedly, she replied, “Once we reach the Northern District, I’ll fully cooperate with you to take down Jonas”

This time, Jonas didn’t bother hiding his amusement. He let out a genuine laugh, the deep, resonant sound echoing between them. Well, isn’t that something! Me taking down… me. Now this is getting interesting

He raised an eyebrow, his grin laced with mockery, “Sweetheart, you’ve got this whole getting something for nothing thing down to an art, don’t

you!

Natalie quickly shook her head. “If you don’t believe me, I can write you a guarantee. In black and white. If I go back on my word, you can take straight to Jonas himself”

Her focus sharpened on survival. That was all that mattered to her. It’s not like I even know Jonas. There’s no loyalty here to betray. By giving this guy a bargaining chip, maybe I can earn just a sliver of his trast”

But Jorus wasn’t playing along. His laughter only deepened, his eyes creasing with genuine joy. The atmosphere felt lighter–almost too light–and yet it sent a chill crawling up her spine.

Natalie was on edge. She felt that every time Jonas laughed like that, it never boded well for her.

“Well,” he said, his voice dripping with mock sweetness, “that’s mighty sincere of you. But, sweetheart, do you really think I’m worried about whether or not you’ll regret your choices?”

He paused deliberately, his eyes locking onto hers. The tension between them stretched taut as a wire, making her restless as hell, until he finally added with a sly grin, “What if you don’t even make it to the Northern District)

“Am I supposed to dig up your corpse and demand compensation then!”

The sheer absurdity of his words, combined with her frazzled nerves, triggered an uncontrollable hiccup. Startled, Natalie slapped her hand over her mouth, her cheeks burning

“Hi, Hic. The more she tried to stop, the more persistent they became.

She glanced at Jonas, panic flickering in her wide eyes, but he didn’t seem irritated. If anything, his expression was unreadable, his gaze sharper

than ever.

“L. I have nothing right now.. b–bic to offer…” she stammered between hiccups, her voice trembling

She noticed that Jonas’s gaze drifted downward, landing on the hand covering her lips. Unconsciously, her free hand gripped the fabric of her dress, twisting it nervously.

Her chest tightened as a dreadful thought surfaced. Please, please don’t say I have to sleep with him to pay 1

him back. Right now, the only thing I have of any value… is this body!

Jonas’s gaze grew more intense, smoldering with a heat that seemed to seep through the space between them. Just as his lips parted slightly to speak, Natalie, as if propelled by an invisible force, blurted out her question.

“I’ll cook for you, okay!” Her voice carried a note of nervousness wrapped in an attempt at nonchalance.

“Want me to help you stop hiccupping?” Jonas replied smoothly, the corner of his mouth twitching upward in amusement

The words collided in the air, their simultaneous delivery sparking a fleeting moment of awkward sync.

Jonas tilted his head, a soft laugh rumbling from his chest, as though he’d uncovered a private joke. She’s acting clueless on purpose. I’m handing her an opportunity to latch onto me, and she’s playing coy again, Guess she’s back to playing hard–to–get

Natalie’s eyes darted toward him for the briefest of moments before she quickly lowered her gaze.

She couldn’t miss the glint in his gentle eyes–a sly, predatory spark that suggested he found the whole exchange both amusing and thrilling. She could tell that whatever he had in mind, it wasn’t likely to be simple or innocent.

She got startled again, and her chest tightened, as though an invisible weight pressed down on her ribs. The hiccups had thankfully stopped. “Other

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Chapter 22

than cooking,” she stammered, her voice a bit shaky. “L… I can also ”

Her thoughts scrambled like leaves in a gust of wind. What e More than one thing, actually.

else can I say

dot Something useful, something believable… There is something.

The realization hit her like a jolt of electricity, and for a split second, the words hovered on the tip of her tongue, ready to escape.

But before she could speak, the car took a sharp turn. The seatbelt tightened across her chest, snapping her back to reality and cutting through the fog in her mind. The abrupt movement brought clarity. “No. I can’t say that

A random student from Mastrary isn’t supposed to know those kinds of things. If I say it, I’ll have to explain, and that would just make me look even more suspicious.

Jonas’s patience was clearly wearing thin while she was hesitating. He leaned in slightly, his tone edged with a hint of irritation, “What else can you do!”

“L..” Natalie’s mind raced as she grasped for a plausible answer. Then, a faint idea flickered to life. “I can give massages, I, uh.. I actually trained for it.

Jonas’s brow arched, his curiosity piqued. His fingers found her chin, tilting her face ever so slightly as if examining her, his touch light yet commanding.

His lips curled into a smirk, but beneath the surface, his thoughts carried a note of derision. Massages? So, this is her g innocent while looking for an excuse to get physical with me? Nice try!

ganse now! Pretending to be

His voice dropped into a lazy drawl, his words laced with mockery. “Oh? Got a lot of tricks up your sleeve? How many different positions do you know?”